May 2002

Man of 42 had sex with girl of 14

THE family of a Gwent teenager “infatuated” by a 42-year-old father who had unlawful sex with her want the law changed, to protect young girls.

The schoolgirl, who cannot be named, was 12 when she first met Paul Daniel Williams, of Clos Gwendraeth, Blackwood.

By the time she was 13 he had befriended her, and she was infatuated by him, a court heard. He started having sex with her when she was 14 and her parents told the press they were powerless to stop it.

They say Williams – this week ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years – showered her with compliments, gaining her trust before having unlawful sex with her. Police could not formally charge him unless the girl made a statement of complaint to them – which her parents say she refused to do.

Williams was eventually arrested after abducting the girl last December while she was living with foster parents.

She was under a joint care order between her parents and Caerphilly Social Services. Peter Heywood, prosecuting, told Newport crown court this week the girl contacted Williams through text messages. He met her and they had sex in his Vauxhall Cavalier.

After his arrest, the girl finally admitted they had sex on a number of occasions, the court heard. Police were then able to carry out DNA tests, which confirmed this.

Williams was jailed for 18 months after admitting abducting the girl. He received two concurrent six- month jail sentences for two counts of having unlawful sex with her. Judge Philip Richards branded Williams’ behaviour “disgraceful” and said: “She was infatuated with him; the courts have to protect young girls from themselves.”

Ieuan Rees, for Williams, said: “This was not a forced abduction nor was the sexual intercourse forced. He responded inappropriately to the girl’s infatuation and regrets his behaviour.”

Now her family want the law changed so that police can take action without a statement of complaint from underage girls.

After the case her father, who works in Newport, told the Argus: “There must be a change in the law. We tried everything but he kept coming back for her. He brainwashed her and she was besotted with him but the police could not do anything unless she made a complaint which she would not do.

“There is nothing in the law that will allow us to protect our daughter from men like him. “It has been a living nightmare.

“The law should let parents protect their children, but all it does is protect people like Williams.”

Williams also received a 15-month prison sentence for handling stolen goods, after admitting giving two men a lift from the scene of a burglary in Cwmfelinfach.